Farmers plant 90% of new forests

FARMERS are now responsible for more than 90% of new planting, Forestry Minister Mary Wallace revealed when she presented the Irish Forestry Awards at Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

The awards, sponsored by the Forestry Service of her department and the RDS, reward farmers who are employing basic principles of sustainable forest management on their properties as well as sound commercial management, environmental protection, bio-diversity and social amenity.

Ms Wallace said the afforestation programme today is being driven by farm forestry.

Winner of the farm forestry award was John McCartan, Baltrasna, Kells, Co Meath, with a merit award going to Martin Murphy, Cahermurphy, Kilmihill, Co Clare.

The bio-diverse forest-woodlands category was won by the Missionary Society of St Columbian, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath, with the merit award going to Joe Barry, Kilcock, Co Kildare.

Each category winner was presented with a cheque for €2,000 and an RDS silver medal while the merit awards winners each received a prize of €1,000.

Greenbelt Ltd, Virginia, Co Cavan was awarded the judges’ prize for outstanding work.

An award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to Irish Forestry was made to John McCarthy, None So Hardy Nurseries, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow.